Thermal ecology of Plesiopelma longisternale: novel insights and comparative analysis with a sympatric species

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  Thermal ecology of Plesiopelma longisternale: novel insights and comparative analysis with a sympatric species Abstract Understanding thermal responses in ectotherms is key to assessing vulnerability to climate change. Tarantulas (Theraphosidae) are informative models due to their sedentary lifestyle, long life cycles, and reliance on specific microhabitats. We present the first integrative assessment of the thermal ecology of Plesiopelma longisternale , a widespread Argentine species, combining experimentally derived thermal limits and thermal preferences with species distribution models, and compare its thermal profile with the sympatric Grammostola vachoni to explore patterns of thermal niche differentiation. Plesiopelma longisternale showed a minimum thermal limit near 4 °C, a maximum near 44 °C, a thermal optimum of 29.5 °C, a narrow thermal performance breadth, and a preferred temperature of approximately 32 °C. Models integrating climatic and thermal parameters predicted...

Comparative analysis of the mitochondrial genome of Androctonus crassicauda Olivier, 1807 (Scorpiones, Buthidae) with phylogenetic implication

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Comparative analysis of the mitochondrial genome of Androctonus crassicauda Olivier, 1807 (Scorpiones, Buthidae) with phylogenetic implication

Abstract

The order Scorpiones represents a lineage of arachnids that has exhibited considerable evolutionary success, encompassing over 1700 recognized species. However, the mitogenomes within this group have received limited attention. To increase the taxonomic sampling of species available for studies based on mitogenomes, we reconstructed the complete mitogenome of Androctonus crassicauda Olivier, 1807 (Scorpiones, Buthidae). The specimen was obtained from insect markets in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. The mitogenome is a circular molecule with a length of 14,834 bp. The proportion of adenine and thymine (A + T) was 67.3%. The Ka/Ks ratios for all protein-coding genes (PCGs) were determined to be less than 1, implying that purifying selection likely plays a dominant role in shaping the evolutionary patterns of these genes. The frequency of codons ending in A/U was significantly higher than that of codons ending in C/G, reflecting the strong AT bias of the third codon position. Phylogenetic analyses based on PCGs corroborated previously recognized taxonomic relationships in family Buthidae. These findings enhance our understanding of the evolution of Buthidae mitogenomes.

Ding, Y., Zhang, G. & Liu, H. Comparative analysis of the mitochondrial genome of Androctonus crassicauda Olivier, 1807 (Scorpiones, Buthidae) with phylogenetic implication. Genetica 154, 35 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10709-026-00287-2